By Were Kelly
Presidential aspirant Dr. Reuben Kigame has filed a private prosecution suit at the Milimani Law Courts against senior state security officials, accusing them of orchestrating extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and abductions during the 2024 and 2025 anti-government protests.
In a powerful statement delivered outside the courtroom, Kigame condemned the brutal crackdown on demonstrators, many of whom were reportedly young, unarmed, and full of promise.
Among those named in the suit are the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, and the leadership of the National Intelligence Service. Kigame alleges they played a central role in sanctioning or failing to prevent the deaths and abuse of over 100 Kenyans.
“This suit is not political. It is constitutional. It is moral. It is human,” he declared. “We take this action because the Constitution of Kenya is the supreme law. It binds all of us—citizens, leaders, and security agents alike. No one is above the law.”
Kigame noted that his team had issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiate proceedings against those responsible, but with no action forthcoming, he has taken the unprecedented step of private prosecution.
Citing international human rights norms, Kigame described the actions of the state as violations of both domestic and international law.
“Torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings are not just illegal under our Constitution—they are crimes under international law. No office or title grants immunity for such atrocities.”
He called for the arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators, regardless of rank or role, including those who “incited violence from behind closed doors” and the “goons” deployed to disrupt peaceful demonstrations.
Kigame’s statement also issued a broader warning: “We must not allow Kenya to become a republic of fear. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not under our watch.”
He urged the East African region to take note, saying that the era of brutality and disregard for human dignity is over.
Signaling readiness to internationalize the matter, Kigame vowed to escalate the case to the International Criminal Court if Kenyan institutions fail to act. “Crimes against humanity cannot be wished away. They must be addressed—boldly, lawfully, and without delay.”
He concluded on a poignant note: “We do this not out of bitterness, but out of a profound belief in the promise of Kenya. To preserve our Constitution. To honor our fallen. To protect the living. And to remind the world: in Kenya, justice will prevail.”
